Local roads
to be closed
The Okeechobee County
Sheriff's Office (OCSO) has
announced that a portion of
S.W. 32nd Street, from the 700
block to the 1600 block, will
be closed to all in.-ifli begin-
ning Oct. 10.
This closure will be in
effect for an estimated five
weeks, and detours will be
posted at S.W. Third Terrace
and S.W. 16th Avenue.
In other road closures, on
Oct. 15 and 16 the 1200 block
of S.R. 70 W. will be closed to
all traffic for an estimated 12
hours.
Detours will be posted and
OCSO deputies and officers
from the Okeechobee City
Police Department will be
manning the intersections.
Westbound traffic will be
detoured to N.W. Ninth
Avenue, then to N.W. Ninth
Street and onto U.S. 98
Eastbound traffic will be
detoured to U.S. 98, then to
N.W. Ninth Street and then to
N.W. Ninth Avenue.

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Mo c E-
S- z, 2

Students learn
about the seasons
Kindergarten
Kindergarten students at
Central Elementary School
(CES) have been learning
about the seasons as we
moved from summer into fall.
It has been especially fun
learning about apples and
Johnny "Appleseed" Chap-
man with the letter Aa.
Page 3

Cost of plant
expansion may
top $19 million
By Pete Gawda
Okeechobee News
In a very busy morning, the
board of directors of the Okee-
chobee Utility Authority (OUA)
Tuesday spent considerable time
discussing issues involved with
expansion of the wastewater treat-
ment plant.

1 1 1,, liii S ; ..

They also closed the contract
on the new surfacewater treat-
ment plant, approved expendi-
tures for disposal of treated residu-
als, scheduled a special meeting
and authorized extension of two
sewer lines.
In order to have funds to pay
Metzger & Willard for engineering
work that must be done before
construction can begin on expan-
sion of the surfacewater treatment
plant, the board agreed to delay
rehabilitation of two sewer lines.
The sewer line rehabilitation had

been allotted $600,000 in the cur-
rent fiscal year budget.
The two sewer line rehabilita-
tion projects delayed are lines on
S.W. Park Street at Second Street
from S.W. Seventh Avenue to S.E.
Second Avenue, and N.W. Park
Street at Second Street from N.W.
Eighth Avenue to N.W. Second
Avenue.
The amount requested for engi-
neering fees was $563,880.
The engineering proposal cov-
ers design, permitting and bid
phase services for expansion of the

Family starts a new life
,, ,",

Okeechobee News/Audrey Blackwell
Rhonda Peterman (right) and three of her girls moved to Okeechobee Oct. 7 from the
Hurricane Katrina-stricken state of Mississippi. Kadie (left), 11, Brittany (center, left), 12,
and CaCe (center, right), 14, started school at Yearling Middle School'Oct.'11. They are
staying with Rhonda's mother Anne Beardon until they get settled with a home of their
own. The girls said they like their new school and the people they have met in Okee-
chobee are very friendly.

Family relocates to Okeechobee

By Audrey Blackwell
Okeechobee News
Trying to pick up the pieces
after Hurricane Katrina ripped
through the Gulf shores of Mis-
sissippi became too much to
bear for Rhonda Peterman.
The rented house she had
just moved into the week before
the storm was totally destroyed
along with all of her family's
belongings.
She ended up bringing three
of her daughters to Okee-
chobee to start a new life. Her
oldest daughter, Ashley, 16,
caught the last plane leaving
Gulfport, Miss. before the storm
hit and is staying with her father
in Utah. Ms. Peterman, and mid-
dle school-aged Kadie, Brittany,
and CaCe are staying with
Rhonda's mother and step-
father, Anne and Daryl Bearden.
The Petermans piled into
their pickup truck and headed
to Okeechobee on Thursday,
Oct. 6.
"We drove through the night
and got in Friday morning," Ms.
Peterman said. She said her
mother and step-dad were up

Special to the Okeechobee News/Rhonda Peterman
The unnamed man in the.picture stands in front of the
steps leading to what once was the house where Rhonda
Peterman and her family lived in Point Cadet, Miss., near
Biloxi. The house was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. Ms.
Peterman recently moved her family to Okeechobee.

all night waiting until they
arrived.
Driving long distances is not
a problem for this single moth-
er. She said she drove 122 miles
each way daily from her home

in Point Cadet, Miss. for her job
at a nursing home in Pearl River.
At least, that is what she did

See Move Page 2

Cemetery Road wastewater treat-
ment plant to 4 million gallons a
day, as well as effluent disposal by
deep well injection. It also covers
all subcontract work including
electrical and structural, plus the
hydrogeological engineering for
the design and permitting of the
deep injection well.
Metzger and Willard estimated
that construction costs would be
$19,504,356. However, the engi-
neering firm said that figure might
have to be updated as the work
proceeds through the permitting

phase.
In another matter dealing with
treatment plant capacity, the board
voted to enter into a developer's
contract with Beneficial Commu-
nities to guarantee sewer capacity
for their 104-unit multi-family
development on U.S. 441 S.E.
Board attorney Tom Conely
advised the board to .take this
action since the developer had
received a written guarantee of
capacity in February 2005. At that
See OUA Page 2

State grant

will pay for

9-1-1 upgrade

By Eric Kopp
Okeechobee News
A $154,203.84 grant from the
State of Florida will be used to
upgrade the county's current 9-
1-1 system and allow emergency
responders to pinpoint the
caller's location on an electronic
map.
Okeechobee County Sheriff
Paul May made the announce-
ment Tuesday, Oct. 11., that
Okeechobee County had been
awarded the grant. He said the
new system will be used by both
his department and the Okee-
chobee City Police Department.
Sergeant William Markham,
communications supervisor for
the Okeechobee County Sher-

iff's Office and the 9-1-1 coordi-
nator for Okeechobee County,
said both law enforcement agen-
cies have the ability to verify the
location of an emergency call
over a wireline. But with the
Phase II upgrade, both agencies
will now be able to verify the
location of both wireline and
wireless callers.
Sgt. Markham said he applied
for the Rural County Grant in late
August. He said the Phase II
upgrade will either start in
December of this year or January
of 2006, and will be completed
no later than July of '06.
The grant covers the equip-

See Upgrade Page 2

Commissioners

will consider

zoning requests

By Pete Gawda Locke of Martha's House. The
Okeechobee News board will also discuss Florida
Power and Light's proposed
At their Thursday, Oct. 13, coal burning generating plant
meeting, the Okeechobee in St. Lucie County.
County Board of County Corn- Of the 10 zoning requests,

missioners will be facing a
long agenda of mostly routine
matters.
They will conduct 10 public
hearings on zoning change
requests,. consider three
requests for plat approval as
well as hearing comments
from Celeste Watford of the
Okeechobee County Tax Col-
lector's Office, and Stephanie

only two are expected to be
controversial.
Royal Concrete Concepts is
requesting a change in zoning
from agriculture to heavy
industrial for property near the
airport industrial park. The
company wishes to relocate
from Palm Beach County. The
See Zoning Page 2

Probe ends with drug arrests

By Eric Kopp
Okeechobee News
Two men being investigat-
ed for allegedly shoplifting
cold medicine from a local
business are now in jail and
facing drug charges.
The drug arrests stem from
the alleged attempted theft
incident and the apparent use
of the cold medicine in the
'cutting' of methampheta-
mine.
Arrested Oct. 6 by the Okee-
chobee County Sheriff's Office
(OCSO) Narcotics Task Force
were Andy Joseph Ponce and
Scott D. Heckerman.
Ponce, 23, Hickory Tree
Road, St. Cloud, was charged
with possession of metham-
phetamine with intent to sell,
resisting arrest without vio-
lence, possession of drug
paraphernalia, shoplifting and

theft. His total bond has been
set at $513,000.
Heckerman, 28, was
charged with possession of
methamphetamine with intent
to sell, resisting arrest without
violence and possession of
drug paraphernalia. His total
bond was set at $510,000.
According to a report by
OCSO Deputy Timothy A. Hig-
gins, he was summoned to the
local business in regard to a
shoplifting complaint. The
deputy went on to state that he
was told by his dispatcher that
a man wearing a black shirt
with multiple tattoos on his
arms tried to steal a backpack
and 11 packs of cold medicine
from the business. However,
when the man was
approached by store manage-
ment he dropped the back-
pack and left.
The deputy was also given

the description of the vehicle.
On his way to the store, the
deputy saw the vehicle and
stopped the 1996 Ford Explor-
er, which was being driven by
Ponce. Ponce, stated the
deputy's report, was wearing a
black shirt and had numerous
tattoos on his arms.
In a report from the nar-
cotics task force, a search of
the Explorer's interior turned
up a digital scale and a total of
six boxes of cold tablets.
That same report goes on
to state that Heckerman was a
passenger in the vehicle with
Ponce. When Heckerman was
searched by Deputy Anthony
Kibler, he was allegedly found
to be in possession of suspect-
ed methamphetamine and a
bag of methylsufonylmethane
(MSM), which is used as a cut-
See Charges Page 2

Suomittea to uKeecnooee iNews/iospice o01 ueecnooee
Accepting donations
Hospice of Okeechobee volunteers Freda Hirst, Nila
McCormick and Pat Bond are very excited about their
new Hospice Residence. The proceeds of yard sales
benefit patient care here in Okeechobee, including sup-
port for the new Hospice Residence. The dedicated men
and women volunteers are working harder than ever to
make your yard sale shopping convenient and worth-
while. They work to ensure that you have quality items
to choose from. Please bring donated items to the new
blue volunteer building which is located next to the new
Hospice Residence at 411 SE 4th St.

S-. ~.- .- .. lkid.y ,4-IV 91 Vol.:

2 The Okeechobee News, Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Move

Continued From Page 1
until the hurricane hit. Then she
stayed at the nursing home along
with fellow workers and worked
16-hours shifts for five days run-
ning, sleeping in empty patient
beds or on a mattress on the floor.
"No one could get in, and peo-
ple couldn't get out," Ms. Peter-
man said. She said this went on
for almost a week. No one could
get gas to drive to work, so those
that were already there were
asked to stay. She said their
administrators gave them gas
vouchers, but there was no gas
available when they got to a gas
station.
"A policeman helped us get
gas from a station he knew about,
and it cost each of us $34 for 10
gallons of gas that day. And that
was all you get, 10 gallons," she
said.
"After five days, the supplies
started coming in and regular
employees started showing up.
FEMA nurses came in and
helped," she said, not knowing if
they were still helping out.
During the storm, the roof of
the nursing home buckled and
lifted, but remained intact. "You
could hear the roof lifting, like it
was fixing to come off, but it did-
n't. We did get leaks, though," Ms.
Peterman said. Her concern was
for patients they had moved into
the hallways to be away from
windows in their rooms. She
couldn't imagine the roof coming
off and water pouring in on the
elderly beings.
Planning ahead, Ms. Peterman
had sent Kadie and Brittany to
stay at their dad's in Gulfport,
thinking they would be safer
there. They were safe, because
the dad's apartment building did
not suffer any damage. However,
much of Gulfport was hit pretty
hard and suffered building
destruction and street flooding.

Zoning

Continued From Page 1
proposed plant will eventually
employ 1,000 people building
concrete modular buildings.
At a recent meeting of the
planning board, residents of the
area around the proposed plant
site showed up in numbers to
protest the zoning change. How-
ever,. in spite of their protests the
planning board recommended
that the commissioners approve
the zoning change.
The other controversial zon-
ing request involves a change
from residential single family to
residential general for property
near the rodeo grounds. The
developer plans to build town-
houses. Residents of that neigh-
borhood also turned out at the
planning board meeting to
protest the proposed develop-
ment. They presented a petition
with 16 signatures protesting the
proposed zoning change. Their
protests were also of no avail as
the board recommended that
commissioner approve the zon-
ing change.
Ms. Watford has requested
that the commissioners order the
2005 tax roll be extended prior to
the completion of the Value
Adjustment Board hearings.
Mrs. Locke is requesting that
the board co-sponsor the
Martha's House Appreciation
Banquet to be held Oct. 26 at tle
civic center so that Martha's
House will not have to pay for
rental of the facility.
Airport Director Vernon Gray
has proposed a set of rules and
regulations for the management
and operation of the industrial

Charges

Continued From Page 1
ting agent in the production
methamphetamine.
The report stated that the st
pected
methamphet-
amine was
field tested
with a positive
result. The
approximate
weight of the
substance was
1.4 grams. The
suspected Andy
MSM had a Ponce
weight of 19.4
grams.
The report
went on to
state that
detectives sus-
pect that the
cold tablets
were going to
be taken to a
"meth lab" Scott
where they Heckerman
would be used
to cut methamphetamine pri,
to its being sold on the street.
While the task force filed tl
drug charges against the ti
men, the theft charges again
Ponce were filed by Deputy Hi
gins.

." S
F

m

CaCe stayed with her mom at
the nursing home and helped out.
"She passed out food and water,
and took out dirty linens. She was
a great help," Ms. Peterman said.
All the while, mother and
daughter hoped they would be
able to return to their home. But
such was not the case. A nurse
told Ms. Peterman she had heard
on the radio that her house was
gone. "When I told CaCe, she just
broke down. But I told her we
need to be thankful. We still have
our family," she said.
During the weeks after the
storm, Ms. Peterman and CaCe
found refuge at a friend's house
and tried to figure out what to do
next.
"There was no gas and no help
from the Red Cross or food distri-
bution places where there were
guys with guns," Ms. Peterman
said. She continued, "They kept
moving the Red Cross and food
distribution places so they would-
n't get inundated, yet we couldn't
get food. It was so messed up, up
there."
She said she could not judge
whether FEMA was doing a good
job. She did get the initial $2,000
from them. But she conceded that
it isn't enough to buy a home or
build a life.
In addition, she heard on the
local television channel, WLOX
Ch. 13, that most of the FEMA
trailers that were brought in were
being used by FEMA volunteers.
"FEMA needs to step up. There
were people sleeping outside and
families in tents," she said. She
said the new FEMA director
seems to keep things better
organized and more people are
being helped. But that could be
due to smaller cases being han-
dled with ease compared to larger
cases that would take more time
and money, she said, if the work-
ers are paid by the number of
cases they complete.
One thing kept burning in her
mind: She longed to reunite with
her girls in Gulfport.

park. These rules contain such
things as minimum standards for
tenants and. qualifications for
application to lease land.
Priority issues will be dis-
cussed at the afternoon session.
In other action, the board is
expected to:
act on a zoning change
request from VisionQuest, a
juvenile detention facility in the
northern part of the county, that
would allow for expansion of the
facility;
act on three requests for
zoning changes from Brother-in-
Law Enterprises for three adja-
cent plots between U.S. 441 N.
and Cemetery Road;
entertain a request for
change in zoning from agricul-
ture to neighborhood commer-
cial-2 for the Fort Drum Diner;
act on a request for change
in zoning from agriculture to
heavy commercial from Daniel
and Catherine Reardon for prop-
erty on U.S. 441 S.E.;
act on a request for change
in zoning from residential single
family to heavy commercial for
Carl and Donna Gaiser's S.R. 70
E. property;
act on a request for a
change in zoning from agricul-
ture to residential single family
for the The Building Company's

She and CaCe made the trip to
Gulfport and found things not
much better there. She said some-
one tried to sell her a house that
had six inches of water in the
basement. "How would I live in
that with the girls?" she asked
rhetorically.
After listening to several pleas
from her mother to come to
Okeechobee, Ms. Peterman took
that choice and feels more settled
here. The girls started attending
Yearling Middle School on Oct. 11
and they all found the school staff
very helpful and friendly.
"The staff will write to one of
the girls' previous schools for
records because all the records
from the recent school were
destroyed," Ms. Peterman said.
Ms. Peterman gave credit to
First Baptist Church who has
been "wonderful," she said. They
gave her a $500 gift card at Wal-
Mart, which helped get the girls
clothes to start school. The
church suggested she register at
Wal-Mart and church members
are going to other churches let-
ting people know about it as a
way to help them more.
The Red Cross may still be able
to help the Petermans. Candace
Pope of the Okeechobee Red
Cross said that Ms. Peterman can
call 866-GET INFO (4388-4636).
"As of last week, all of our case-
work is being done on the nation-
al level," Ms. Pope said.
Ms. Peterman is a registered
nurse looking for a job. But her
first priority is to find a house to
rent or buy that is reasonable. She
wants something in the Yearling
Middle School area, since that is
where the kids are enrolled. How-
ever, most of the places she has
looked at are either too expensive
or don't take children, she said.
"It was a hard decision to pick
up the girls and move this far,"
she concluded. "I've worked all
over the Gulf coast. And it has
been hard for the girls. They will
miss their dad," she said.

U.S. 441 S.E. property;
purchase playground
equipment for OK Softball Fields
with grant funds;
adopt Project H.O.P.E. as an
essential hurricane recovery
resource in Okeechobee County;
schedule a public hearing to
abandon a platted right-of-way;
grant preliminary plat
approval to the proposed Ridg-
way Acres subdivision;
act on a request for prelimi-
nary plat approval for the pro-
posed Hidden Oaks Acres subdi-
vision;
act on a request for final
plat approval on the proposed
Sherman Wood Ranches subdi-
vision;
consider architectural serv-
ices for the Okeechobee County
Administrative Building;
approve a change in asphalt
requirements for the Scott Driver
project;
advertise for pool chemicals
and bulk tank for the county
Sports Complex;
S __ i

consider means t L I
ing the Berman Road wid
project; and,
schedule a Nov. 22
shop with a county r(
board, city council or s
board.

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OUA

Continued From Page 1
time, OUA had the capacity.
Recently they have held off on
entering into the developer's agree-
ments because the present plant is
nearing capacity.
Mr. Conely advised that this was
a unique situation since other
developers seeking such agree-
ments did not have a written guar-
antee of capacity.
Attorney Devin Maxwell, repre-
senting the developer, said his client
needed the agreement in order to
move forward with engineering,
He said they had already spent a lot
of money on the project.
T6 finance the wastewater plant
expansion, the board approved an
application for a $22,003,500 loan
from Rural Utility Services, a federal
agency.
They also approved acceptance
of a Community Development
Block Grant through the county in
the amount of $2,272,500. This
grant will allow for a temporary
expansion of 232,000 gallons a day.
The board spent some time
considering a proposed amend-
ment to the standard developer's
agreement that would allow for
developers to sign an agreement
for the capacity needed and pro-
duce a letter of credit for the capitol
connection charges. Then, OUA
would use these letters of credit to
obtain necessary financing for the
plant expansion. The developer
would have capacity when the
plant expansion was complete and
would pay the remaining charges
associated with his project at the
time the units were connected to
the system.
The board decided to take no
action at this time but take up the
matter again at a special meeting at
8:30 a.m. on Oct 25, after staff has

Upgrade

linac- Continued From Page 1
lening ment upgrade, conversion and nec-

work- essarysoftware.
elated Although both agencies current-
chool ly have electronic maps, finding the
caller's location can use up time
that only exacerbates the emer-
gency.
"When we get a call on a cell
phone it gives the tower address
P and then a quadrant. The size of the
quadrant depends on how close
the caller is to a tower," said Sgt.
Markham.
He went on to say there are
three quadrants per tower and each
could cover an area'of 25 to 30
miles, which then means that more
time is needed to actually find the
caller.
"This upgrade will eliminate the
confusion because it will give GPS
j (Global Positioning System) coordi-
nates," he added. "The biggest
thing with cellular phone calls is if
there is an accident and the caller
doesn't know where they are, we'll
actually be able to see how far out
they are."
_ He went on to say the sheriff's
* office sometimes gets accident calls
from Highlands, Martin and St.
Lucie counties.
n "We'll noW know if we can get
to them faster than, say, Martin
County," explained Sgt. Markham.
All cell phones now come with
GPS capability, said Sgt. Markham.
He added that the new system
will guide emergency responders to
within 250 feet of the caller's loca-
tion.
"We can zoom in to a spot
where we can count the houses on
the street and tell responders to go
to, say, the third house on the

"No 40qw m4

4 4

had a chance to meet with develop-
ers.
Board member Elder Sumner
said the letters of credit were irrevo-
cable and were like "money in the
bank."
In response to a board request,
Dan Willard of Metzger & Willard,
provided information on a profes-
sional group that has experience
dealing with disposal of leachate.
Waste Management has expressed
an interest in being able to dispose
of leachate at the expanded OUA
plant. The board took no action on
the information.
Turning to the surfacewater
treatment plant, Scott Eckler, of the
engineering firm LBFH, noted that
Cardinal Contractors had requested
final payment for construction of
the treatment plant.
He noted that just a few days
ago a problem had been discov-
ered with precast concrete in one of
the buildings. He. stated that the
contract could be held open until
the issue was settled or the contract
could be closed and the matter
dealt with as a warranty issue. He
favored closing the contract and
correcting the deficiency through
the warranty process.
The board agreed with him and
declared the contract closed as of
Aug. 17 and authorized a final pay-
ment of $25,818.11 to Cardinal
Contractors. The board also author-
ized payment of $11, 556.92 to
LBFH for additional engineering
services in connection with the
treatment plant construction.
One bit of good news to come
of the meeting was the report from
Mr. Eckler that the surfacewater
treatment plant was completed
under budget.
OUA Operations Manger John
Hayford told the board that a devel-
oper was planning to extend a
sewer line along S.W. 23rd Street to
a new building. The new sewer line

street," he said.
Simply put, when a 9-1-1 call is
made the dispatcher will pull up a
map on their computer and a dot
will show up on the map. That dot
is the caller's location. The dis-
patcher will be able to pull up the
address of where the call is being
made as well as the X and Y coordi-
nates and thus send emergency
responders quickly to an exact loca-
tion.
Dispatchers at the sheriff's office
have four computers for 9-1-1 calls
and the city has two. Each station
has its own map so that any station
can answer 9-1-1 calls.
Sgt. Markham said the electron-
ic map was generated by the Okee-
chobee County Property Apprais-
er's Office and updated by the
Okeechobee County Planning and

would pass two residential build-
ings, two commercial sites and two
vacant lots. The developer request-
ed approval to install service lines at
each lot. OUA would pay for the
connection lines and then would
be reimbursed when the lot own-
ers paid a connection fee to con-
nect to sewer service.
They also approved a similar
proposal from a developer who
wished to extend a sewer line along
S.W. 20th Street. The proposed
sewer line would serve six build-
ings and one vacant lot.
At their Oct 25 meeting, the
board will form a selection com-
mittee to evaluate applications for
executive director, and consider
whether to appoint an interim
executive director or ask the cur-
rent executive director, L.C. Fortner,
to stay on temporarily.
Mr. Fortner tendered his resigna-
tion Aug. 9, and it will b'e effective in
November of this year.
Mr. Fortner told the board that
the King's Bay project is over half
completed, and predicted that it
would be finished in November.
Turning to another matter, the
board considered the disposal of
treated residuals from the waste-
water treatment plant. Thecurrent
fiscal year's budget contains
$144,300 for disposal of residuals.
At times due to wet conditions or
other circumstances, treated resid-
uals must be trucked to the landfill
for disposal.
The board approved expendi-
ture of $72,000 as needed for resid-
ual disposal.
In other action, the board:
approved a 3 percent cost of
living increase for the executive
director;
received the finance report for
the period ending Aug. 31; and,
decided to take no action on a
proposed rules and regulations
change pending further study.

Zoning Department. The company,
with whom the sheriff's office has
contracted to install the new equip-
ment, then put an overlay of phone
numbers and addresses over that
information.
Local law enforcement started
using the electronic map when
Phase 1 of the 9-1-1 system was
implemented in January of 2003.
Besides making it easier to
locate callers, the new Phase II sys-
tem also will have another benefit
to emergency callers.
"We'll be on a rollover system,"
said Sgt. Markham. "That means if
either agency's phone lines are
busy, the call will rollover to the
other department."
Sgt. Markham said the grant was
awarded to Okeechobee County by
the State of Florida Wireless 9-1-1
Board.

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The Okeechobee News, Wednesday, October 12, 2005 3

CES kindergarteners learn about the seasons

Kindergarten
Kindergarten students at Cen-
tral Elementary School (CES)
have been learning about the
seasons as we moved from sum-
mer into fall. It has
been especially
fun learning
about apples
and John-
ny "Apple-
seed"
Chapman
with the letter i .
Aa.
We tasted different varieties
of apples and made graphs of
our favorites. We also wrote
sentences about our favorites.
Some classes made applesauce
and some made apple print pic-
tures. Painting apple trees was
the favorite activity of many of
the children.
We also learned more about
writing words by learning the
vowel "a" and how vowels are
needed to make words. We
made word families from "am",
"an" and "at". Then, we read
the long lists of words we made.
On Friday, Oct. 7, we enjoyed
the firemen with their different
fire trucks and the EMT's. We
learned how different tools are
used to fight different types of
fires. We also saw the firemen in
suits they wear to go into places
of fire and we know not to be
afraid of them in those suits. We
also know every family needs to
have a safe place to meet away
from the house in case of a fire.
That was everyone will know
where to go and will be safe. It is
not so scary when you know
what to do.
In math, we completed our
unit on patterns. We have made
different kinds of patterns and
have found patterns all around
us on clothes, in pictures, and
in many places around our
classrooms and homes. Now,
we are learning more about
numbers. It is fun to make and
count groups of things.
Kindergarten is great fun. We
can't wait to see what we will
learn next week.

3rd Grade
Third graders in Ms. Enfin-
ger's reading group have earned
a trip to Golden Corral for their
excellent behavior in the hall-
ways. They are working on
author's purpose and main idea
this week. They are reading a
wonderful story about photo-
graphing wildlife. They are
doing a wonderful job. Third
graders in Ms. Enfinger's math
class are working hard as well.
They are learning their multipli-
cation tables and have been
practicing how to regroup. Stu-
dents are looking forward to a
trip to Dolly Hand Theater to see
a play on the 21st of October.
Congratulations to Joshua
Boromei and Austin Mericle, our
Students of the Week. Don't for-
get to read.
Mrs. Greseth's reading class
has really been enjoying their
new program, the 100 book
challenge. The students have
been getting a "step" each day
when they read for 15 minutes.
Then the students have been
taking books home and earning
another "step" at night with
their parents. This extra practice
is really paying off. The students
are also working hard learning
how to find answers in a pas-
sage. Mrs. Greseth's math class
is finishing up learning all of the
multiplication facts from 0-9.
Way to go students. They are
also working on counting
money. Congratulations to our
Students of the Week, David
Tinsley and Thaddnesha
Roberts.
Ms. Mateo's class is having a
good week. We are doing Chap-
ter 5 in math. We are also doing
wonderful in our reading
groups. Multiplication test for
0's through 5's are in two
weeks. We will be ready and
pass with flying colors. Our Stu-
dents of the Week is Marc Bosci-
co.
Mr. Bayer's reading class is
working very hard at improving

difference between common
and proper nouns. In math, we
are finishing regrouping and
ready to move on to money.
Keep on working with those
flashcards.
In Ms. Lopez's and Mrs. Del-
Prete's B.A.S.E. classes our Stu-
dents of the Week for the past
two weeks have been Tristan
Hernandez-Walls, Daniel Nunez,
Diana Magana, and Elizabeth
Solorzano. We are working on
our times tables 0-5 and in read-
ing author's purpose.

5th Grade
Mrs. Steiert's is so proud of all
of her students. They have been
working extremely hard this
year and always display out-
standing behavior wherever.
they go. Mrs. Steiert's home-
room is already working toward
their third Accelerated Reader
goal of 750 points. They have
less than 200 points to earn to
reach it. Way to read, class. Mrs.
Steiert's Science classes have
been studying forces that shape
the earth. They used a sand and
water, demonstration table to
study how the force of water
can change the shape of the
sand as well as the bowl effect
that recently occurred in New
Orleans. Mrs. Steiert's math
classes will soon begin working
on Algebra. They have all done
outstanding so far in math and
Mrs. Steiert has no doubt that
they will do just as well with
Algebra. In math Superstars the
following students have earned
the following points: 25 points-
Sierra Story, Justin Martinez; 35
points- Sarai Gomez, Mercedes
White; 50 points- Rocky Huddle-
ston, Destiney Mullin, Brandon
Mullin, Ben Vuleta; 75 point
club- Frank Adamo, Hunter
Pritchard, Diego Rodriguez,
Marilu Rodriguez, Kylie Shirley;
100 points- Caitlyn Stripling,
Daby Jones, Vanessa Watt, Ami
Nunez. Mrs. Steiert's Students
of the Week have been Hunter

our writing skills. We are cur-- Pritchard, Nick Barletto and
rently reading about photo- Mariah Madirgal.
graphing wild animals and the The students in Ms. White's

reading class began .a new
theme in reading. Team work is
the theme, and will help stu-
dents discover the importance of
working together. They will
learn about people who work
together to'accomplish goals.
We will also be reading two nov-
els; The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, and
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs.
Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L.
Konigsburg. In social studies, we
continue to focus on the explo-
ration of the New World. Con-
gratulations to Atalo Palacios
and Johnathan Guitron for being
selected Students of the Week.
Congratulations to the top Accel-
erated Reader in our class, Beat-
riz Martinez, with 22.7 points.
The students in Mrs. Carpen-
ter's class have been reading
The Cricket in Times Square and
The Slave Dancer. We are rapid-
ly coming to the end of our first
grading period. Several students
have already earned their trip to
Los Cocos and a few more are
very close. Students of the Week
are Brandon Mullin and Shama-
rah Shanks. The top dog in read-
ing is Adel Elhindi in Mrs. Steirt's
homeroom. He has earned
105.3 points. The top dog in Mrs.
Carpenter's homeroom is Diego
Rodriguez, with 32.5 points. In
Social Studies, we are sailing to
the Americas with Columbus
and some other Spanish explor-
ers. We also learned about a
man Steve Fossett, an adventur-
er, who holds many records. He
even participated in the Iditarod
held in Alaska.
In Ms. Stough's class, Kassy
Lartigue and Nancy Palacios
were the Students of the Week.
The AR points leader is Forrestt
Petty. We are finishing up with
natural resources. The reports
the children did were on display
for Writing Display Day last
week. We also learned a song
about petroleum and recycling.
In math we are doing decimal
place value. It seems to be a
breeze for most of the students.

Authors help to rebuild hurricane-ravaged schools

In the wake of Hurricanes Kat-
rina and Rita, schools systems suf-
fered billions of dollars of dam-
ages. The American PublictSchool
Endowments apseE), a
Louisiana-based nonprofit, has
preliminary estimates of $1 billion
in damage in Orleans Parish
alone.
Following Katrina, APSE
began an initiative to raise funds
to aid in the rebuilding of these
schools. This initiative has gained
the support of many authors.
Award winning children's
author Phillip Pullman, author of
the His Dark Materiels series,
wrote in to say "I'm very glad to
hear about the efforts your organi-
sation is making in rebuilding
schools in the area devastated by
Hurricane Katrina and the floods.
Schools are beacons of hope and
expressions of confidence in the
ability of human beings to over-
come disaster. I salute all those

who create and work in them."
Science fiction author and co-
editor of the popular blog boing-
boing.net, Cory Doctorow, has
said "In the face of decades of offi-
cial state negligence of the educa-
tional system and in the face of a
disaster that has destroyed
schools already neglected, it is
wonderful to see a nonprofit
explicitly targeting school-rebuild-
ing projects. With enough sup-
port, the underfunded and now
swept-away schools caught in
Katrina can be rebuilt better than
ever, rebuilt as genuine houses of
learning.
Children's author R.L. Stine,
NPR's Cokie Roberts and Ellen
Kushner, Chocolat author Joanne
Harris, Historian Walter Isaacson
and Hugo, Locus and Nebula
winning author Larry Niven have
joined many others in supporting
APSE's efforts.
Donations are accepted at

Obituary

Mina Wright
Mina Wright, age 77, of Okee-
chobee, died Tuesday, Oct. 11,
2005, at the
Atlantic Health
Care Facility in
Vero Beach.
Mrs. Wright
was born June
21, 1928, in
Salzburg, Aus-
tria. She was a
homemaker ,
having come Mina
to Okee- Wright
chobee from Wright
Indiantown in
1972. She was a member of
Oakview Baptist Church and
married Jim Wright on May 13,
1950.
Mrs. Wright is survived by: her
husband, Jim Wright; three
daughters, Evelyne (Don)
Stutsman of Okeechobee, Dar-
lene (Steve) Hodges of Sebastian,

and Marilyn (Irwin) Wallach of
Grand Rapids, Mich.; three sons,
Randy (Debbie) Wright of Okee-
chobee, Neal (Linda) Wright of
Okeechobee, and Mickey Wright
who went home to be with the
Lord in 1983; 15 grandchildren;
four great-grandchildren; and,
she is expecting another great-
grandchild to be born soon.:
Visitation will be from 4 until 7
p.m., on Friday, Oct. 14, 2005, at
Bass Okeechobee Chapel.
Funeral services will be at 10
a.m., on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005,
at Oakview Baptist Church with
Pastor John Keith and Pastor W.L.
Bostic officiating. Interment will
follow at Evergreen Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the
Oakview Baptist Church Building
Fund.
All arrangements are entrust-
ed to the loving care of Bass
Okeechobee Funeral Home and
Crematory.

www.apse.us their statements is available at, and a http://www.booksxyz.com/dona-
complete listing of authors and tfons.php:' .

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Matthew P. Buxton, LFD

Where Minis tr

Comes First

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1 pm Sat., Oct. 22
Lake Placid, FL

100t Florida Homesites
in ',gh d., Okeechotee & Polk Counties

6 pm Thurs., Oct. 27
Ocala, FL

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SMemorial Tribute
i Remember a loved one
who has departed with a special
Memorial Tribute in this newspaper.

Your tribute can be published following the memorial services, or to
commemorate an anniversary ofyour loved one's birth or passing. You
can add a photograph of your loved one, lines from a poem or
scripture, and special art or borders -- and we'll make sure it all comes
together attractively and tastefully.
f 1. 4 :,
Visit www2.newszap.com/memorials for sample ads
and an online order form, or call 1-866-379-6397 toll free.

Ted Schiff, M.D. and the professional staff at
Water's Edge Dermatology will treat you with all
the care and expertise you expect.

Adult and Pediatric Dermatology
Diseases of the Skin, Hair and Nails
* Surgery of the Skin, Skin Cancer Treatment
MOHS Skin Cancer Surgery
New patient's are welcome,
Medicare and most insurance accepted.

Have an opinion or a question about a public issue? Post it anytime
at the Okeechobee issues blog at http://newsblog.info/0904. It is a
hometown forum so visit the page as often as you would like and
share your comments (but no personal attacks or profanities, please).
You can also make a comment by calling our Speak Out 24-hour
opinion line at (863) 467-2033, fax (863) 763-5901 or sending e-mail
to okeenews@newszap.com. You can also mail submissions to
Okeechobee News, P.O. Box 639, Okeechobee, Fla. 34973. Com-
ments will be published in the newspaper as space permits.

AARP drivers safety course planned
The Crime Prevention Unit of Okeechobee will sponsor an
AARP driver safety course on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 from 8 a.m. until
12:30 p.m. both days. Tuition is $10 and must be paid by check.
The event will be held behind the office of the Okeechobee Coun-
ty Tag Agency, 307 N.W Fifth Ave. Registration for these classes
should be done in advance. Participants do not have to be mem-
bers of AARP, or have AARP auto insurance. All seniors 50 and
over are invited. For information, contact instructor D.J. Bryan at
(863) 763-0351.

Legion hosting steak dinner
The Sons of the American Legion will host a steak dinner on
Sunday, Oct. 16, from 3 until 6 p.m. at the American Legion Post,
501 S.E. Second St. The menu will consist of steak, baked potato,
salad, roll and dessert for a $9 donation. There will also be live
entertainment from 3 until 7 p.m.

Northside church hosting concert
The Northmen will be in concert at the Northside Baptist
Church, U.S. 441 N. at 98th Street, on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. Everyone is
welcome. For information, call (863) 763-7165.

L.O.A.A. to host ride
The Lake Okeechobee Airboat Association (LOAA) will host a
ride at Cornwell on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 10 a.m. Participants are to
meet at the boat ramp. All area airboaters are welcome to bring
their lunch and spend the day riding with us. Cornwell is north-
west of Okeechobee off U.S. 98. For information, contact the
Andersons at (863) 763-6069.

Free nutrition class offered
Dr. Edward W. Douglas will host a Contact Reflex Analysis and
Designed Clinical Nutrition Class on Monday, Oct. 17, at 5:30 p.m.
The clinic is free to the public and will be held at his office at 916
W.N. Park St. For information, contact Dr. Douglas' office at (863)
763-4320.

Church hosting drama team, band
The Okeechobee Church of God drama team and band will be
at the Basinger Civic Center on U.S. 441 N. on Thursday, Oct. 20.
Everyone is asked to bring a covered dish for supper, which will
begin at 6 p.m. Services will start at 7 p.m. The free event is spon-
sored by the Cowboys for Christ. For information contact Doyle
McDuffie at (863) 763-2285, or Kim Davis at (863) 467-2855.

JJJ council meets Oct. 21
The Okeechobee Juvenile Justice Council will hold their
monthly meeting on Friday, Oct. 21, in the meeting room at Beef
O'Brady's Restaurant, 608 S. Parrott Ave., starting at noon. The
purpose of the meeting is to enhance prevention and interven-
tion of at-risk youth in Okeechobee County. The public is invited.
For information, call Pat O'Connor at (863) 763-3536.

Collaborative council meeting planned
The Community Collaborative Council of the Okeechobee
County Shared Services Network will hold their monthly meeting
Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held in the board-
room of the Okeechobee County School Board office, 700 S.W.
Second Ave. The purpose of the meeting is to allow the commu-
nity to identify issues, collaborate and share information regard-
ing services for children and their families. Guest speakers will be
Lonnie Kirsch, homeless liaison for Okeechobee County; Tom
Jones and Lindsey Mann, from Eckerd Youth Alternatives, and
Ken Kenworthy will present the Safe and Drug Free report. The
public is invited. For information, call Sharon Vinson at (863) 462-
5000, ext. 257.

Okeechobee News

Our Purpose...
The Okeechobee News is published by Independent Newspapers of Florida
Independent is owned by a unique trust that enables this newspaper to pur-
sue a mission of journalistic service to the citizens of the community. Since no
dividends are paid. the company is able to thrive on profit margins below
industry standards. All after-tax surpluses are reinvested in Independent's
mission of journalistic service, commitment to the ideals of the First
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. and support of the community's deliber-
ation of public issues.

We Pledge ...
* To operate this newspaper as a
public trust
* To help our community become a
better place to live and work.
through our dedication to consci-
entious journalism.
* To provide the information citizens
need to make their own intelligent
decisions about public issues.
* To report the news with honesty,
accuracy, purposeful neutrality,
fairness, objectivity, fearlessness
and compassion
* To use our opinion pages to facili-
tqte community debate, not to
dominate it with our own opinions.
* To disclose our own conflicts of
interest or potential conflicts to our
readers.
* To correct our errors and to give
each correction to the prominence
It deserves.
* To provide a right to reply to those
we write about.
* To treat people with courtesy,
respect and compassion.

Florida Press
Asioclaion
Okeechobee News 2005
For More Information See
At Your Service On Page 2

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Courtesy photo/"Strolling Down Country Roads"/Edith Hansel Hester
Looking Back ...
Education of the youth has always been a priority for Okeechobee families. These students attended Okeechobee High
School during the 1930s. These students are: (from left to right) Edith Hansel, Mary Alice Norris, Francis Carter, Lois
Padgett and Bertha Simmons. The book "Strolling Down Country Roads" is now available at the Okeechobee Historical
Society, U.S. 98 N., or the Okeechobee County Chamber of Commerce, 55 S. Parrott Ave. The price of the book is $35
per copy through Dec. 31. After that date the per-copy price will be $40. For information, send questions to: Okeechobee
Historical Society, P.O. Box 248, Okeechobee, FI., 34973; or, call Betty Williamson at (863) 763-3850 or (863) 763-6226.
Do you have any old photos of the Okeechobee area or of Okeechobee citizens? If so, bring them by the Okeechobee
News office, 107 S.W. 17th St., and we can copy them while you wait. Or, you can e-mail the photo and information about
the photo to okeenews@okeechobee.com.

Letter to the Editor

Thank you
for the supplies
I would like to take this oppor-
tunity to thank the people of
Okeechobee for the outpouring
of relief supplies delivered to the
town of Seminary, Miss., and the
surrounding communities follow-
ing Hurricane Katrina.
Your generous donations met
immediate needs of countless
families in our area.
While it is too difficult to name
everyone involved in this relief

effort, I want to thank those that I
had personal contact with during
this time. Stan and Kim Speed
helped coordinate connections
between Okeechobee and Semi-
nary. Corey Kirton, Judd Shurley
and Jay Manyard gave of their
time to personally deliver the sup-
plies to Seminary.
Again, thank you for the sup-
port given to us during this diffi-
cult time.

Art Stringer,
Seminary, Miss.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday
A.A. meeting from noon until 1 p.m. at the Church of Our Sav-
iour, 200 N.W. Third St. It's an open meeting.
A.A. meeting from 8 until 9 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic
Church, 701 S.W. Sixth St. It will be a closed discussion.
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meet in the New Horizon building;
1600 S.W. Second Ave., from 6:30 until 7:30 p.m. For information,
call (863) 763-1191.
Lakeside Cruise'n Car Show will meet from 7 until 9 p.m. in the
Wal-Mart parking lot in front of the Garden Center. Just stop by to
show a car you may have, or check out the cars and visit with the car
owners while you listen to the great oldies music.
The American Cancer Society meets at 7 p.m. at the Raulerson
Hospital, 1796 U.S. 441 N., in the north dining room. The meetings
are sponsored by the American Cancer Society and are facilitated
by their medical advisor Dr. Heller. For information, call 1-800-224-
6844.
Community Country Gospel will meet at 7 p.m. at the church
next to Douglas Clinic on North Park St. Any individual or group that
enjoys old time gospel music is invited to participate. For informa-
tion, contact Randy or Larese Maycumber at (863) 467-0359.
Martha's House offers weekly support groups for individuals
who are either directly or indirectly affected by domestic violence,
other women's issues are also addressed. One support group is
held every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Okeechobee County Health
Department auditorium, 1728 N.W. Ninth Ave. For information, call
Irene Luck at (863) 763-0202. The other support group is held on
each Thursday at 6 p.m. at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church,
1057 N.E. 14th Ave. For information, call Shirlean Graham at (863)
763-2893.

Thursday
Diabetes Support Group meets at 2 p.m. in the cafeteria at
Raulerson Hospital, 1796 U.S. 441 N. For information, contact
Wanda Hass at (863) 824-2780.
Tantie Quilters meets every Thursday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at
the Historical Society Museum on U.S. 98 N. For information call
Margaret Smith at (863) 467-8020, or Janet Rinaldo at (863) 467-
0183.
Family History Center meets from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 310 S.W. Sixth St. Anyone interest-
ed in finding who your ancestors are is welcome to attend. There is
Census, IGI (International Genealogical Index), Social Security
Death Index and military information available. For information, call
(863) 763-6510 or (863) 467-5261.
Prayer Group meets at 10 a.m. at the Community Center locat-
ed at 412 N.W. Sixth St. For information, call (863) 763-5996.
Christian Fellowship Prayer group meets at 9:30 a.m. at the fel-
lowship hall at 412 N.W. Sixth St. For information, call (863) 763-
5996.
ABWA Women of Tomorrow Chapter meets from noon until 1
p.m. at the Golden Corral Restaurant, 700 S. Parrott Ave. The cost is
$6.20 plus tip for lunch. Anyone interested in attending is welcome.
For information, call Bonnie Kinchen at (863) 467-7100.
' Travlln' Sams members of the Okeechobee Chapter of Good
Sams meet on the second Friday of each month, with early birds on
Thursday. Call Joan at (863) 876-4596 or Jeanne at (863) 824-
0984, for the next camping site.
Kiwanis Club of Okeechobee will meet from noon until 1 p.m.
at Village Square Restaurant, 301 W. South Park St. All Kiwanis and
the public are welcome. For information, contact Ray Worley at
(863) 467-0985.
Take Off Pounds Sensibly No. 47 will meet from 5 until 6:30
p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 200 N.W. Second St. Please
join us or ask questions. Call Doris at (863) 467-5206, or Hazel at
(863) 763-4923 for information.
Cowboys for Christ will meet at Dunklin Memorial, 407 N.W.
Second Ave. Everyone is invited. For information, call Mike Fletcher
at (863) 357-6257.

Community Events

Ministerial association to meet
The Okeechobee County Ministerial Association will meet at
noon on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at Hospice of Okeechobee, 411
S.E. Fourth St. Lunch will be provided.

Healthy Start board meeting planned
The board of directors of the Okeechobee Healthy Start
Coalition will meet Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 11:30 a.m., in their
office at 575 S.W. 28th St., which is in the New Endeavors
School building. This meeting is open to the public. The Okee-
chobee Healthy Start Coalition is made up of citizens interested
in promoting healthy families and healthy outcomes for babies
in Okeechobee. For information about the coalition, contact
executive director Kay Begin at (863) 462-5877.

Diabetes support group will meet
The diabetes support group will meet in Raulerson Hospi-
tal's north dinning room, 1796 U.S. 441 N., Oct. 13 at 2 p.m.
The guest speaker will be Jean Kearney, a SHINE volunteer,
who will talk about the new federal Medicare drug programs.
For information, contact Wanda Haas, diabetes nurse educa-
tor/program coordinator, at (863) 763-5093.

Seminar to deal with Medicare issues
A complimentary luncheon seminar on the recent changes
in Medicare will be held Thursday, Oct. 13, at 10:30 a.m. at the
Clock Restaurant, 1111 S. Parrott Ave. Some of the topics to be
explained are the changes made in Medicare, the new prescrip-
tion drug benefit and long-term care. For information or to
make a reservation, call (863) 385-0707.

Grief and loss support group to meet
Big Lake Hospice will hold daytime grief and loss support group
meetings on the second and fourth Thursday of each month begin-
ning Oct. 13. The group will meet at the Big Lake Hospice office at
3543 U.S. 441 S. in the Northlake Village Plaza. The meetings are
free. For information, contact Karla at 800-299-4677.

Hospice plans yard sale
Hospice of Okeechobee will hold a yard sale on Friday, Oct.
14, and Saturday, Oct. 15, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Hospice
of Okeechobee volunteer house at the corner of S.E. Fourth St.
and Third Ave. All proceeds benefit patient care in Okeechobee.

Girl Scouts raising funds for trip
The Junior Girl Scout Troop will hold a multifamily yard sale
on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Central Elemen-
tary School, 610 S.W. Fifth Ave. The troop is raising money for a
trip to Savanna, Ga., which is the birthplace of American Girl
Scouting. For information, call Karen VanBeek at (863) 467-1907.

Martha's House plans health fair
Martha's House will be hosting a health fair on Saturday,
Oct. 15, from 8 a.m. until noon at the American Legion, 501
S.E. Second St. There will be booths from various organizations
in the community. This fair is one of the events held in October
to highlight Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To partici-
pate in the health fair, call Martha's House at (863) 763-2893.

Oktoberfest hosted by VFW Post #9528
VFW Post #9528 will host an Oktoberfest celebration Satur-
day, Oct. 15, starting at 1 p.m. for a $7 donation per person.
German food will include schnitzel, bratwurst, sauerkraut,
rotkraut, kartoffelsalat and more. Music will be provided by
Alex and Johnny B. For information, call (863) 467-2882.

SES advisory council to meet
The Seminole Elementary School Advisory Council will
meet Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 4 p.m. in the media center. The public
is invited.'

Tickets go on sale Monday, Oct.
17, for the Okeechobee Communi-
ty Theater's (OCT) fall musical
production, "110 in the Shade",
which will be presented for four
performances, Nov, 4, 5, 11, and
12, at 8 p.m., each evening in the
theater behind the Golden Corral
Restaurant on S.W Second
Avenue at Seventh Street.
Reserved seating tickets are $10
each, and may be purchased at
Okeechobee Chamber of Com-
merce, on South Parrott Ave.,
between North and South Park
Streets.
"110 in the Shade" is probably
the best musical you've never
heard of," says OCT
Coordinator/Director, Ron Hayes.
"It had the bad luck to premier on
Broadway in New York during the
same season as "Hello Dolly!" and
"Funny Girl," and those shows got
all of the attention. Even so, critics
praised the show. The New York
Daily News called it "as good a
show as you can see."
"Local musical theater expert
Ian Nairnsey, who formerly hosted
the radio program "Broadway
Beat" on WQCS in Ft. Pierce, rec-
ommended the show to the OCT a
couple of years ago," Hayes says,
"and we realized we'd discovered
a rare gem."
The show tells the story of a
western town caught in the grips
of a severe drought. Smooth-talk-
ing con-man, Bill Starbuck,
appears, and promises to make it
rain-for a price. Lizzie Curry,
however, is able to see t through his
scheme immediately. She is an
intelligent single woman with no
self-confidence. Through this
chance encounter with Starbuck,
she is able to discover just what it
is that she really considers most
important in life. Her younger
brother is also profoundly affected
by his contact with the self-pro-
claimed rainmaker.
The play has been compared to
the Broadway classic "Okla-
homa!", and it is similar in some
ways to the "Music Man", although
it is no carbon copy either. The
songs range from quietly beautiful
to rousingly spirited, with a raise
the roof gospel feel.
"110 in the Shade" is based on
the play "The Rainmaker", by N.
Richard Nash. It was made into a
non-musical hit movie which
starred Kathryn Hepburn and Burt
Lancaster. '
The songs come frrrithte'writ-
ing team of Harvey Schmidt and
Tom Jones, who also created "The
Fantastiks." That show ran contin-
uously in New York for more than
42 years, and became the longest
running production in the history
of the American stage.
The leading roles in the show
are being played by two newcom-
ers to OCT productions. Linda
Mazzola, a mother of twins, will be
seen as Lizzie, a young woman
who has been told for so long that
she is "plain" that she has come to
believe it.
Bill Starbuck, the smooth-talk-
ing con-man, is being portrayed by
Daniel Hamby, who, aside from
his mobile home business, also
performs regularly as an imper-

Theatre season

debuts with

'Curious Savage'
A wealthy widow and her
wicked stepchildren take center
stage at the sanitarium when Indi-
an River Community College Fine
Arts Department opens its theater
season with John Patrick's, "The
Curious Savage." The comedy
shares a message of love and
charity when Mrs. May Savage,
played by Nicki Thoman of Jensen
Beach, rallies her fellow patients
to show her stepchildren a thing
or two about money and the
importance of helping others. The
play opens Oct. 27 and runs
through Oct. 29, at the McAlpin
Fine Arts Center on the Main Cam-
pus of IRCC in Ft. Pierce.
The student cast members,
directed by David Moberg, include
Kacie Kelly of Ft. Pierce playing
Florence, Nick Carter of Valrico,
playing Hannibel, Aubrey Via of
Port St. Lucie playing Fairy May,
Reinaldo Rocha of Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil playing Jeffrey and Candice
Bourgault of Port St. Lucie as Miss
Paddy. Rounding out the cast are:
Casey Huneycutt of Port St. Lucie
who plays Titus, A.J. Quinn, of
Vero Beach plays Samuel, Katelyn
Johnson of Port St. Lucie plays Lily
Bell, Toni Karam of Yonkers, N.Y.
plays Miss Willy and Randy C. Earll

of Port St. Lucie plays Dr. Emmet.
Don't miss this comedy. Perfor-
mances are 8 p.m., on Thursday,
Oct. 27, Friday Oct. 28 and Satur-
day, Oct. 29. A matinee perform-
ance will be held at 2 p.m., on Sat-
urday the 29th. Tickets are $12
each and may be reserved by call-
ing the IRCC Box Office at 1-866-
400-7529 Monday through Friday
from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. or visit-
ing the Box Office at 3209 Virginia
Avenue in Fort Pierce.

senator of various country music
entertainers.
Returning to the OCT stage is
Mike Zierdan, in the part of File, the
local sheriff. Zierdan is a veteran of
numerous productions, including
leading singing roles in "Okla-
homa!", "The Pajama Game",
"Guys and Dolls" and "Damn Yan-
kees." Additionally, he has been
seen in non-musicals such as "The
Miracle Worker", "Moon Over Buf-
falo" and last season's "Over the
River and Through the Woods."
Also appearing as Lizzie's well-
meaning father, is Okeechobee
High School social studies teacher,
Tom Murray, back from his per-
formance in last year's "Blame it
on the Movies." Paul Buxton, of
Buxton's Funeral Home, follows
roles in such productions as
"Carousel", and "Dearly Depart-
ed", as Lizzie's older brother,
Noah. Kevin Lute, who starred in
last season's "Over the River and
Through the Woods", will be seen
as younger brother, Jim. Lute is a
teacher at Osceola Middle School.
Rounding out the large cast are:
Jordan Bean, Jordan Canevari,
Raye Deusinger, Brian Garza,
Sonya Hamby, JoAnn Kane,
Amanda Lamberti, Aric Majere,
Alex Ming, Joanie Moffatt, Larry
Paxton, Scotty Rae, Tina Welborn,
Rahl Wilkinson, Cathy Womble,
David Womble, and Kim Womble.
The pianist is Sara-Kay Knoche.
Co-directors are Ron and Jacques
Hayes.
"110 in the Shade" will be the
first musical production by the
Okeechobee Community Theater
to benefit from the organization's
new sound system.
"We used it for the first time in
last season's comedy, "Over the
River and Through the Woods,"
Hayes says, and it really enhanced
the production. Each of the lead-
ing characters will be individually
miked, so the audience will have
no trouble hearing the dialogue or
the songs from any seat in the
house."
The Okeechobee Community
Theater is an all volunteer organi-
zation which is now in its twenty-
seventh year of producing live
Broadway-style musicals, come-
dies, and dramas for local audi-
ences. It is a member of the Ameri-
can Association of Community
Theater, and the Florida Theater
Conference.

Submitted to Okeechobee News/Okeechobee Historical Society
Historical Society painting
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Thornberry recently donated an origi-
nal painting of Billy Bowlegs to the Okeechobee Historical
Society. This historic piece of art was created by Gladys
Lantz, mother of Bobby Lantz of Okeechobee. This painting
was purchased in the 1970s. The very thoughtful gift is
appreciated by the Historical Society and will be hung in
the Seminole Indian section of the museum. Harvey and
Janet Thornberry hold the painting of Billy Bowlegs at the
museum on highway 98 North, across from the civic center.

Spotlight on

Okeechobee

Thank you
The family of Leona Culbreth
would like to thank all those
who cared for her during her ill-
ness including the staff at Hos-
pice of Okeechobee, and the
caregivers who made it possible
for her to be comfortable in her
home. Our family would like to
especially thank Reverend Bruce
Simpson of the First United
Methodist Church and Reverend
Mickey Evans and his wife Laura
Mae Evans, and Bass Funeral
Home for conducting such a
beautiful memorial service.
We wish to express apprecia-
tion for the floral tributes and
the donations to Hospice of
Okeechobee in the memory of
Leona Culbreth, and to our
many friends who have extend-
ed kindness and sympathy to us
during the illness and passing of
our mother and grandmother.
Gil Culbreth, Susie Hoover
and families

Okeechobee Non-Profit Housing, Inc. has received $500,000
for the HOME Again Loan Program and is seeking appli-
cants. This program will assist homeowners with replace-
ment of their hurricane damaged and destroyed homes. The
funds available will be able to assist a limited number of
homeowners.

Applications will be accepted for the HOME Again
Program for applicants who meet the following eligibility
requirements:

1. You owned your home in Okeechobee County as PRI-
MARY residence during Hurricane Frances and Jeanne.
2. You have been unable to fix your home because of lack
of insurance and other assistance.
3. Your gross household income is AT or BELOW the
guidelines listed below:

If you are interested in participating in the HOME Again
Loan Program, call Jessie for an appointment at (863) 467-
5525. Interviews will be by appointment only. Applications
will be considered on a "first ready, first serve" basis.

WANTED:
8 HOMES THAT NEED PAINTING
8 homeowners in this general area will be given the opportunity of
having new LIQUID STUCCOTM applied to their homes at factory-
direct prices. This amazing new product has captured the interest of
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constant painting and other maintenance costs. It comes with a
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efficient. And is backed by a 42 year old international company. Our
new product can be used over any type of home, including frame,
concrete block, and stucco homes. It comes in a choice of colors and
is now going to be introduced to the LOCAL market. Your home can
be a showplace in your neighborhood and we will make it worth your
while if we can use your home. For a FREE estimate, please call:

REGISTRATION FORM
Taylor Creek Bass Club, Inc.
20th ANNUAL KID'S DAY FISHING TOURNAMENT
October 30, 2005 Okee-Tantie Back Ramp
Contestants
Name Age:
Address:
Phone:
A responsible adult must accompany the participants.
General Release
The Contestants, parents or guardians hereby agree
to indemnify and hold harmless all members, officers
and officials of Taylor Creek Bass Club for any liability
and/or damages arising from the contestants
participation in the Kid's Day Fishing Tournament.
Signed: Date:
Mail Registration. Form By October 20, 2005 To:
Taylor Creek Bass Club c/o Bill Seitz
2315 SE 31st Street, Okeechobee, FL 34974
or drop off at any school, Okeechobee News Office,
The Pennysaver or Pogey's Restaurant on S. Parrott Ave.

"Copyrighted Material

Syndicated Content

Available from Commercial News Providers"

BIG LAKE HOSPICE YOUR HOSPICE IN OKEECHOBEE
BIG LAKE HOSPJCE focuses on you and your loved ones. It is about living with
dignity and in comfort. BIG LAKE HOSPICE offers you choices:
Outstanding High Quality Patient Care and Personalized Family Support
Your choice of other hometown healthcare providers that you want
A variety of settings: home care, residential care, assisted living or in-patient care

If you have questions about your choices
for hospice care and services, please call
Linda Creech at (863) 763-0707 or come
to our offices at 3543 U.S. Hwy. 441
South, Okeechobee.

sources

BIG LAKE

HOSPICE.

Provider of Hospjice & Palliative Care

Northeast National Tournament
On Sept. 16 and 17, Russ Adams, instructor, Adam Joyce, instructor trainee, and student
Kayla Skinner, along with Mr. and Mrs. Mike Skinner and Ashley, attended the Northeast
National Taekwondo Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. Mr. Adam Joyce competed and
received a Spirit Award, McKayla Skinner competed and took second place in sparring
and fourth in forms. With approximately 700 to 750 competitors from all over the north-
east, we congratulate Adam and McKayla for representing Russ Adams Taekwondo
America and our city of Okeechobee.

Sports Brief

Taekwondo school
hosts golf tourney
Russ Adams Taekwondo will
host a golf tournament on Oct. 15
to raise money to send their stu-
dents to the national tournament.

The tourney will begin with an
8 a.m. shotgun start, and will be a,
four-person scramble. The fee is
$45 per person and includes 18
holes of golf and lunch. There will
be trophies for first, second and
last place, as well as door prizes.

Hole sponsorships are $100.
Donations are also welcome.
For information or to register,
contact the Okeechobee Golf and
Country Club at (863) 763-6228;
or, Sunni Adams at (863) 697-
0499.

Our Emergency Department and Surgical Services Are Available
24 Hours a Day 7 Days a Week

179i6 iway 441 North Okeechobee, FL 34972

(863) 763-2151
www.raulersonhospital.com

I

4

The Okeechobee News, Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Special to Okeechobee News
Little Mr. Octoberfest
Jayton Trayce Howard of Okeechobee won Little Mr.
Octoberfest Supreme for 2005. Jayton won in several
categories including prettiest eyes, smile, most photo-
genic, attire, personality, best costume and most overall
handsome. Jayton shown with his mom, Kerrie Howard
is 19 months old. His dad is James Rogers of Okee-
chobee. Jayton was sponsored by Gilbert Oil, St. Lucie
Battery and Tire and Russell Davis Cattleman's Fence.
The event took place on Oct. 8 at the Sebring Mall.

Submitted to Okeechobee News/Okeechobee Historical Society
Reunion planning
Members of the Okeechobee Historical Society met at
the historical museum in September to prepare invita-
tions for mailing to those who have attended previous
reunions sponsored by the historical society. The histor-
ical society is planning for yet another big get-together
for alumni of the Okeechobee High School classes from
1921. through 1959. Members of the society assisting
with plans for the reunion include: (left to right), Wilma
Williams, Rowena Parkerson, Paula Williams, Mary
Frances Dixon, (standing), Dorothy Kinsaul, Betty
Williamson, (sitting), Pearl Godwin, Zelda Mixon, Wanda
Conrad and Willa Minehan. Anna Jane O'Steen who also
assisted with the planning is not shown.

Community Events

County plat directory offered
The 2005 Okeechobee County Plat Directory is now for sale at the
Okeechobee Soil & Water Conservation office on U.S. 98 N. For infor-
mation, call (863) 763-3619, ext. 502.
Gospel Lighthouse will meet
A newly-formed congregation, The Gospel Lighthouse, will meet
every Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Christian 7th Day Baptist Church, 914
N.W Park St. There will be old camp meeting style of preaching, pray-
ing and singing. For information, contact Reverend Elma J. Hampton
at (863) 357-0455.

SFai itW .,t,".,
Pre-School 6"
Providing children with an opportunity to form biblical values, to
cultivate a love of learning and to build meaningful relationships.
* Age appropriate, Christian Theme Based Curriculum
* Safe and Nurturing Environment
* Individualized Assessments
* Low-Staff Child Ratio
* Full Time Program for two and three year old children
* Sensory rich classrooms with various hands on learning centers
* Shaded Playground
* Conveniently located in town
* Licensed through ACSI (Association of Christ Schools International)
* Lic #192508
Registration Is Now Open
Call for appointment to view our facility and to pre-register your child.
(863) 763-8800

BREAKFAST BANQUET ROOM FASTEST LUNCH IN TOWN!
BUFFET AVAILABLE Specials Starting Under
7 DAYS A WEEK AVAILABLE Specials Starting Under *6QQ!

* . .

The staff of The Clock Restaurant has faithfully provided the
Okeechobee community with quality service and food for over 3
years. You'll find the Clock easily takes the gold when it comes to
maintaining a nice family atmosphere... the servers are fast,
friendly, and efficient and the management team is right there
making sure you, the customer, are taken care of properly.
One of the most interesting things about the Clock is that you'll
always see your favorite hometown friends here police officers,
local business owners and workers, and so on and they'll all tell
you that they enjoy the consistent quality food and service we
give'them. And that is why I invite you to come and rely on us -
because we care!
We have a variety of lunch specials starting at under $6.00. Do
you only have an hour or less for lunch? We'll get you in and out
faster than any other full service restaurant in town and that's
guaranteed. For breakfast, the Clock has a breakfast buffet that
runs 7 days a week with just about every breakfast item on it you
can think of. Everyone knows about our infamous Touchdown
Breakfast that is always available any time of the day: 2 eggs, 2
pancakes, 2 bacon strips, 2 sausage links for just $3.89. For din-
ner, try our newest amazing deal: All you can eat fish or shrimp
for only $8.99, every Friday and Saturday night. Hey seniors!
Have you enjoyed 2 dinners from our senior menu for ony
$10.49? Includes choice of vegetable, choice of potato, soup or
salad, and dinner roll or biscuit. All that for only $10.49! (Use
coupon anytime conveniently located in the Okeechobee News or
join us every Tuesday night).
So please visit us and experience Okeechobee's #1 place for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. How about a cup of Joe on Joe? Stop
by and ask for me personally I'd love to get to know you!
Joseph Graisbery General Manager

NO MEMBERSHIP FEE, NO SERVICE AGREEMENT TO BUY!
Attention: All meat cut on premises by appointment only. All total dollar prices based on a minimum weight. Beef is not a manufactured item. Their weights may vary. FREE STEAKS based
on 4oz. portions. ALL FREE items with purchase only. 20 cents/lb. cutting and wrapping on all orders. The plate, flank & brisket consists of thriftier cuts requiring longer cooking methods.

Gift Fruit Shipper
Trophies/Plaques

--i

I

-.40000oft qaw

o

The Okeechobee News, Wednesday, October 12, 2005 LIFESTYLES

their daughter Angela Sue
Criswell to Calvin Dudley Collins,
Jr. of Okeechobee. The prospec-
tive groom is the son of Debbie
and Calvin Collins, Sr. of Okee-
chobee.
The wedding is planned for
Oct. 15 at 4 p.m., at The.Church of
the Nazarene in Okeechobee.
The bride is a homemaker and
the groom is employed as a heavy
equipment operator with Conti-
nental Florida Materials.
After the wedding, the couple
will reside in Okeechobee.

Birth

Aidyn

James Starr
Toby and Jessaka Starr of Okee-
chobee are proud to announce the
birth of their son, Aidyn James a
Starr. He was born on Sunday, July
31, 2005, at Martin Memorial Hos-
pital in Stuart. Aidyn weighed 9
pounds 7 ounces and was 20 inch-
es long at birth.
Aidyn was welcomed home by
his brother, Matthew.
His maternal grandparents are
Jeff and Kristine Davis of Okee-
chobee and Judy and Jimmy Lash- Aidyn Starr
ley of Lake Wales. Aidyn's paternal
grandparents are Sue Starr of Johnny and Judy Davis,' ofHola-
Okeechobee and also Ted Starr paw, Jack and'Florence Murphy,
and Melody Hodges of Okee- .Delores and Jim Lasley, all of Okee-
chobee. His great-grandparents are chobee.

Amy Hayes

and Adam

Saavedra
Thomas Hayes of Okeechobee
is proud to announce the engage-
ment of his daughter Amy Hayes
to Adam Saavedra of Tucson, Ariz.

Tucson, Ariz.
The wedding is planned for
March 17, 2006, at Clearwater
Beach.
The bride-to-be is a 1998 grad-
uate of Okeechobee High School
and attends Perimeter College.
The groom is a 1998 graduate
of Mountain View High School
and is now employed with
Kroger.

The prospective groom is the son After the wedding, the couple
of Joseph and Sandra Saavedra of will reside in Atlanta, Ga.

Community Events
Enrollment starts for VPK program
The Agency for Workforce Innovation is starting the registration
process for parents to enroll their children in the state's new Volun-
tary Prekindergarten (VPK) program. Eligible children must live in
Florida and be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 of the 2005-06 school
year. Parents can find the registration form online at www.vpkflori-
da.org; or, they can contact their nearest Early Learning Coalition for
a paper copy of the registration.

Legion sponsoring fundraiser
The American Legion Memorial Post 64, the Ladies Auxiliary and
the Sons of the Legion in conjunction with Environmental Control
are sponsoring a fundraiser.' We ask that you donate your used or
empty laser printer cartridges and ink jets to the Post. The Post will
receive a donation from ECC. All monies received from this project
will be used to purchase supplies for the needy school children.in
the Okeechobee County School system. Boxes will be made avail-
able at the follow' ,ng I'canons: American Legion, 501 S.E. Second
'Ave., ChJmber of ( Cornrrerce ,55 S. Parrott Ave.; and Smith's Comn-
puter Service, S.W. Park Street. Additional collection points will be
made available at a later date. For information, call John R. Rooney
at (863) 763-2950 or (863) 763-8971.

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Baptist Church opens library
First Baptist Church Library invites everyone to check out books,
tapes, CDs, DVDs and Christian materials. They are open Tuesday from
10 a.m. until 1 p.m.; Wednesday, from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m.; and, Sun-
days from 6 until 6:30 p.m. They are located at 401 S.W Fourth St. For
information, call (863) 763-2171.
Children's Ranch plans yard sales
The Real Life Children's Ranch, 7777 U.S. 441 S.E., will hold yard
sales every Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Funds from
the sales help support activities for the children. Usable donations are
always accepted and should be taken to the ranch on U.S. 441 S.E. For
information, contact Rosie at (863) 763-4242.
Civil Air Patrol is forming
The United States Air Force Auxiliary is forming a Civil Air Patrol unit
in Okeechobee, and senior members and cadets are being recruited.
Youths between the ages of 12 and 18 are eligible. Senior members are
needed to administer the unit and provide supervision for the cadets.
The three main missions of the Civil Air Patrol are emergency services,
aerospace education and cadet programs. Senior members and cadets
work side by side to accomplish these missions. If you are interested in
becoming a cadet or senior member, contact Gene O'Neill at the
Okeechobee Emergency Operations Center, (863) 763-3212.
Red Cross needs instructors
Have you saved a life today? Volunteer as an American Red Cross
Instructor and teach others the skills they need to save lives. You can
help the American Red Cross reach people in your community with
lifesaving training, including CPR, First Aid, Automated External Defib-
rillation, and HIV/AIDS Prevention. Contact the Okeechobee Branch of
the American Red Cross at (863) 763-2488 to find out more.
Grace Christian Schools seek help
Grace Christian Schools has K-3 openings at this time. For informa-
tion, call Grace Christian Schools at (863) 763-3072.

Red Cross seeks DAT volunteers
The American Red Cross is looking for volunteers to be part of
their Disaster Action Team (DAT). The DAT is made up of a group of
trained volunteers who respond to local disasters such. as structure
fires, floods, etc. If you would like to give of your time and talents to
help local citizens in a time of disaster, please contact Debbie or
Candace at the American Red Cross Okeechobee Branch by call-
ing (863) 763-2488.

Food pantry reopens
Okeechobee Presbyterian Church Food Pantry, 312 N. Parrott
Ave., is open again. It is located in the back parking lot of the
church. The temporary gray box is stocked and ready for anyone
who needs food. All you need is an I.D. The hours of operation are
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. until noon.

My Aunt's House seeking volunteers
My Aunt's House, Inc. a 501 (c) (3) organization is looking for two
to three volunteers to work in our Closet any day, or days, Monday
through Friday during the hours of 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. We are also
looking for a volunteer to become the director and a board member
of The Clothes Closet. The volunteer should communicate well with
the public and should be able to seek support from city and county
officials, business executives and other organizations. Work days and
hours are flexible. Call (863) 634-2306 for information.

New historical mugs on sale
The Okeechobee Historical Society has a new shipment of histor-
ical Okeechobee County Courthouse mugs and mugs with a picture
of the old High School for $6 each on sale at the Chamber of Com-
merce. They also have a small booklet entitled "Pictorial History of
Okeechobee" which sells for $4.
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County online at: http://newsblog.info/0904.

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12 The Okeechobee News, Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Gallagher announces statewide essay contest

TALLAHASSEE Florida's
Chief Financial Officer Tom Gal-
lagher unveiled an essay contest
aimed at encouraging investor
education among middle and
high school students in Florida.
The contest, "Cash in on Your
Money Smarts," offers teens a
chance at more than $7,500 in

prizes statewide, with a top indi-
vidual award of $750 for one stu-
dent in each of five geographic
regions.
"This contest offers Florida
teens a unique opportunity to be
rewarded for their knowledge of
smart investing and their persua-
sive writing skills," said Gallagher.

Submitted to Okeechobee News/Phoebe Raulerson
Award winning speech
Kati McWaters, a senior at Okeechobee High School
received a check for $100 from Okeechobee Farm Bureau
Board member, Phoebe Raulerson. Miss McWaters'
speech was chosen to represent District 7 at the State
Farm Bureau Youth Speech Contest. The contest will be
held during the Florida Farm Bureau Annual Convention at
the Coronado Inn in Orlando on Oct. 13. District 7 repre-
sents Okeechobee, Brevard, Indian River, Osceola, and St.
Lucie counties. Miss McWaters won the Okeechobee Farm
Bureau Youth Speech Contest last spring and received a
$100 check for her efforts at that event as well. Her speech
was entitled, "How Can Agriculturalists Assure Future
Availability of Natural Resources?" The Okeechobee Farm
Bureau is proud to have such a talented young women
explain to the public how to achieve one of its major goals.

"Learning these valuable skills
now will help pave the way for a
lifetime of financial success."
The essay contest is part of
Gallagher's statewide public edu-
cation initiative, "Your Money,
Your Life," which is designed to
help Floridians make better
informed financial decisions. Gal-
lagher launched the program in
2004 after learning that many
Floridians put themselves at
financial risk by waiting too late
to save and by running up debt.
The program includes a compre-
hensive educational website
available at www.yourmoneyy-
ourlife.org.
The essay contest, "Cash in on
Your Money Smarts," is open to
Florida teens who are between
the ages of 14 and 18. Students
must submit a 1000-word essay
to the Florida Department of
Financial Services by Jan. 27,
2006. Essays may be submitted
electronically or by mail, in Eng-
lish or Spanish.
Each essay contest participant
will be asked to consider and
write a comprehensive response
to the following question: "If you
had $100,000 to invest, what
would you invest in and why?"
The response should address
why you would invest in certain
companies or products, what
information you used to back up
your investment decisions, and
how investing can help you meet
your money goals.
Judging the contest will be
representatives from the Florida
Council on Economic Education,
a non-profit organization that
supports financial education ini-
tiatives in schools and businesses
statewide. In addition, depart-
ment employees Fred Varn and
Greg Thomas, who also serve on
the Leon County and Wakulla
County School Boards respective-
ly, will participate in the judging
process.
Cash prizes will be awarded to
each of the top three essays in

five regions across the state, for a
total of 15 winners. First place
offers a $750 cash reward, sec-
ond place garners $500 and third
place is $250. For complete con-
test details, to download an essay
application or submit an essay
electronically, log on to
www.fldfs.com and click "Cash
in on Your Money Smarts."
Support for the "Cash in on
Your Money Smarts" essay con-
test comes from the Investor Pro-
tection Trust, a fund created in
2003 from a multi-million dollar
settlement reached with federal
regulators. A portion of the fund
was earmarked for
investor/financial education.
"The 'Cash in on Your Money
Smarts' contest dovetails with
classroom efforts and, just as
importantly, gives families of stu-
dents a way to get involved," said
Gallagher. -
Gallagher also said that
department staff is available to
conduct presentations in schools
across the state to help teach
basic financial management
skills to Florida students.

What do you think? Write a letter!
The Okeechobee News welcomes letters to the editor about topics of local
interest. Mail letters to 107 S.W. 17th Street, Suite D., Okeechobee, Fla., or
email to okeenews@newszap.com.

Enfinger, owners of Superior Z- i'a
Water Works, needed a new air ..
conditioner, they knew who to
call, Quality AIC & Heating. 1 4
They purchased a Trane '
XL/14i system, including vari-
able speed air handler and ,
electronic air cleaner.
According to Danny
Enfinger, "I am very happy W
with the system upgrade, sim-
ply put, it works great! My' i
wife Cindy and I would espe-
cially like to thank Francisco .
and Quality Air Conditioning i "- B "
and Quality Air Conditioning Danny Enfinger and Quality A/C's Francisco
for the great service." Guerrero with the new XL/14i System.

oT"T Call Us Today!

v467-1545
and HReao g of -St-Lic. CAC029420

Sell your personal valuables if
they're $2,500 or less
for absolutely free!
No fee, no catch, no problems!

* 4 lines for 2 weeks
* Price must be
included in ad

* Private parties
only

* ,2 items per house-
.-hold per issue

* 1 used item or
grouping per ad
priced at $2,500
or less

* Independent
Newspapers
reserves the right to
disqualify any ad.

Okeechobee News

Toll Free 877-353-2424
E-Mail: classad@newszap.com

It WUll U U
lone now!?

a SatrIa

The Okeechobee News, Wednesday, October 12,2005

At the Movies

The following movie is now
showing at the Brahman Theatres
Ill.
Movie times for Friday, Oct. 7,
through Thursday, Oct. 13, are as
follows:
Theatre I "The Curse of the
Were-Rabbit" (G) Showtimes: Fri-
day at 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday at 2, 4:15, 7 and 9 p.m.
Monday at 3 and 7 p.m. Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday at 2,
4:15, 7 and 9 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for adults; chil-
dren 12 and under are $4; senior
citizens are $4 for all movies; and,
matinees are $3.50.
For information, call (863) 763-
7202.

Briefs

Ad Litem program
needs volunteers
This year, hundreds of kids on
the Treasure Coast will be
abused, neglected or aban-
doned. If you have as little as two
hours per week, then you can
help. Guardian Ad Litem volun-
teers are needed to speak up for
these children. Training for new
volunteers will be held in your
area soon. Volunteers are need-
ed in St. Lucie, Indian River, Mar-
tin and Okeechobee counties.
Call the Guardian Ad Litem pro-
gram at (772) 785-5804 for info.r-
mation and an application. Just
two hours of your time each
week will make a difference in
the lives of these children.

Foster parents
desperately needed
Okeechobee is in desperate
need of people willing to provide
foster children a normal family
life with nutritious meals, good
daily care and a stimulating envi-
ronment. Foster parents may be
married, divorced or single.
Their most important character-
istic is that they are caring indi-
viduals who understand the
problems and needs of foster
children. Please contact Karissa
Richards at 1-(800) 403-9311.

Coast Guard Auxiliary
is active in community
Since its creation by Congress
in 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard
Aiui:hari has served as the civil-
ian, non-military d6rhionent of
the Coast Guard. Today, the
33,000 volunteer men and
women of the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary are active on the water-
ways and classrooms in over.
2,000 cities and towns across the
nation. Each year, Auxiliarists
(folks just like you) save almost
500 lives, assist some 15,000
boaters in distress, conduct more
the 150,000 courtesy safety exam-
inations of recreation vessels and
teach over 500,000 students in
boating and water safety courses.
The results of these efforts save
taxpayers hundreds of millions of
dollars every year. For informa-
tion, call (863) 467-3085.

EYDC is in
need of volunteers
Volunteers.do make a differ-,
ence. This statement is proven
daily by hundreds of private citi-
zens who, as volunteers, enter
juvenile justice programs
throughout the state. The Eckerd
Youth Development Center
(EYDC) needs you to share your
skills or special talents in making
a difference in the lives of trou-
bled youth. Volunteers are need-
ed as tutors, translators, arts and
crafts instructors, mentors, job
preparation and search instruc-
tors, recreation aides and assis-
tance in developing a youth choir.
Wouldn't you like to make a dif-
ference? If so, please contact Rick
Hargraves at EYDC, 7200 U.S.
Hwy. 441 N., Okeechobee, Fl.
34972. (863) 763-2174, ext. 234.

Read library
books online
The Okeechobee County Pub-
lic Library has announced a new
service for those patrons with e-
mail accounts. You can join the

Chapter-A-Day Online Book Club
sponsored by the Friends of the
Okeechobee County Library. All
you need to do is visit the
library's web page. at
www.heartlineweb.org/oke and
choose the link to the Online
Book Club. Simply follow the
directions on the page. You will
start receiving chapters from
popular books in your daily e-
mail. After you have read two or
three chapters from a book, you
will begin receiving chapters
from a new one. Each Monday
you will start a new book. There
is no charge for this service. You
don't even need a library card.
All you need is an e-mail address
and five minutes a day to sample
the wonderful world of reading.

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ty {E ABSOLUTElY
for any personal items for sale under $2,500

More Papers Mean More Readers!

Reach more readers when you run
-.I ..... I ,_

your ad u n several papers in
our newspaper network.
Our newspaper network
consists of eight papers one
daily and seven weeklies. An ad run in all these newspapers will
reach more than 164,000 readers*!

Rules for placing FREE ads!
To qualify, your ad
* Must be for a personal item. (No commercial items, pets or animals)
Must fit into 1/2 inch
--(that's 4 lines, approximately 23 characters per line)
`'-j Must include only one item and its price
(remember it must be $2,500 or less)
Call us!
No Fee, No Catch, No Problem!

/ For Legal Ads
legalods@newszap.com
/ For All Other Classified
Advertising:
dossads@newszap.com

Important Irformation.
Please reed your ad careuly
the first day it appears. In
case of an inadvertent error,
please notify us prior to the
deadline listed. We will not
be responsible for more than
1 incorrect insertion, or for
more than the extent of the
ad rendered valueless by
such errors. Advertiser
assumes responsibility for all
statements, names and con-
tent of an ad, and assumes
responsibility for any claims
against Independent
Newspapers. All advertising
is subject to publisher's
approval. The publisher
reserves the right to accept
or reject any or all copy, and
to Insert above the copy the
word "advertisement". All
ads accepted are subject to
credit approval. All ads must
conform to Independent
Newspapers' style and are
restricted to their proper
classifications. Some classi-
fied categories require
advance payment. These
classifications are denoted
with an asterisk *.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT WANTED
GREAT OPPORTUNITY!! BENEFITS!!
For a 3 acre Resort in Lake Port. Highly motivated and a
self starter. Advertising and Marketing skills required. No
physical limitations. Great communications & computer
skills. Must love nature & animals. Able to travel the U.S.
(optional). Fax resume to Tim at Adventure Tour of South
Florida 863-946-1185

DOMINO'S PIZZA IN OKEECHOBEE IS NOW HIRING
Drivers
High gas prices? No worries! Our mileage reimbursement
goes up with the gas prices! Work part time hours make
full time pay take CA$H home daily.
Customer Service Representatives
Assist the Management Team in performing Customer
service and production tasks. If you are people oriented and
energetic, we'd like to hear from you!
Join the Winning Team apply in person at the
Okeechobee location!

Start a new career in the much needed field of
nursing as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Complete the
Hospitality Assistant course/training at Okeechobee
Healthcare Facility and become a CNA in 4 weeks. Next
.class begins soon. Instructor RN/experienced teacher has
a very high CNA exam passing rate. Qualified CNAs are
then eligible for LPN training. Good benefits.
Apply In Person For Further Details:
406 N.W. 4th Street (863) 357-2442

HELP WANTED:
Looking for someone with
experience in Sprinkler
system installation-must
have valid FL. drivers
license and be willing to
work hard. Please call
863-357-6390
or Fax resume to
863-357-1039

LPN/MA full time needed for
busy derm. office, great
salary & benefits. Fax re-
sume 772-879-9970.
It's never too late to find
the perfect gift. Look
for it in the classified.

HOME CLEANING JOBS- none
to small, excellent references
call Karen (863)763-2990
Time to clean'out the
attic, basement and/or
garage? Advertise
your yard sale in the
classified and make
your clean up a breeze!

NOTICE
Independent Newspapers will
never accept any advertise-
ment that is illegalor con-
sidered fraudulent. In all
cases of questionable val-
ue, such as promises of
guaranteed income from
work-at-home programs if
it sounds too good to be
true, chances are that it is.
If you have questions or
doubts about any ad on
these pages, we advise that
before responding or send-
ing money ahead of time,
you check with the Better
Business Bureau at
772-878-2010 for previous
complaints.
Some 800 and 900 telephone
numbers may require an
extra charge, as well as
long distance toll costs. We
will do our best to alert our
reader of these charges in
the ads, but occasionally
we may not be aware of the
charges. Therefore, if you
call a number out of your
area, use caution.

MISSING- AIRSTREAM '74-
31ft, recent new roof top AC,
vic of West Palm Beach
91405, Reward if found
(561)684-9007.
TERRY 5TH WHEEL- 36',
Comfortable to live in. New
tires good cond. No slides
$4000.954-629-6766

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
TEFRA/PUBULC HEARING
The Miami-Dade County Industrial Development Authority (the "Authority) has been
requested to issue its Solid Waste Disposal Revenue bonds (Waste Management
Inc. Project), in one or more series in an aggregate principal amount not to ex-
ceed $75,00,000 (the Bonds", to he pmceeds of the various series of which will
provide financing for solid wast disposal capital expenditures in Okeechobee
County and approximately 10 other uisdlctions located throughout the State of
Florida and (iilto pay tor certain bond Issuance costs collectively the Project).
The Project will be financed as part of an ongoing plan of financing for the Project
and will be owned and operated by either Waste Management Inc. of Florida or
Refuse Services, Inc., each a Florida corporation and an Indirect, wholly owned
subsidiary oa Waste Management, Inc. (collectively, the "Company"). The Project
consists of financing (a) improvements to existing landfill facilities, including (i)
construction of new disposal cells and liners within currently permitted acreage,
(ii) additions and Improvements to the leachate collection and treatment system,
including leachate trenching, (ill additions and improvements to the methane gas
system, (Iv) installation of new liners for Intermittent and final closure of complet-
ed sections of the landfill facilities, (v)purchase of land, (vi) site improvements,
(vii) acquisition of equipment to be usedat the landfill facilities, and (viii) acquisi-
tion of other equipment and assets necessary to support the foregoing improve-
ments and to place them in to service, and (b) Improvements to existing
collection (hauling) and transfer station facilities, including (i) acquison of solid
waste disposal trucks and support vehicles |ii aiu:,:,- ,:i :,.i,,] .j'],- p'[,,
sal containers and related equipment, (ill) acquisition oi soou waste disposal son-
ing and processing equipment, (Iv) construction of new buildings, (v) site
improvements, and (vi) acquisition of other equipment and assets necessary to
support the foregoing improvements and place them in to service. The project lo-
cations are at existing facilities as follows:
1.10800 NE 128th Avenue, Okeechobee, Florida
2.3831 NW 21stAvenue, Pompano Beach, Florida
3.3000 NW 48th Street, Pompano Beach, Florida
4.23046 Harbor View Road, Port Charlotte, Florida
5.700 Stockade Road, Immokalee, Florida
6.4500 Exchange Avenue, Naples, Florida
7.3750 White Lake Boulevard, Naples, Florida
8.4945 Highway 273, Campbeliton, Florida
'.11990 State Road 82, Fort Myers, Florida
0. 4371 SE 73rd Street, Ocala, Florida
1.186 NW 68th Avenue, Ocala, Florida
2.9350 NW 89th Avenue, Medley, Florida \
3.2125 NW 10Oth Court, Miami, Florida \
4.630 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
5. 108 NW Hill Avenue, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
6. 1334 N. Goldenrod Road, Orlando, Florida
7.5400 Rex Drive, Winter Garden, Florida
8.4986 L. B. McLeod Road, Oriando, Florida
9.255 W. Keene Road, Apopka, Florida
The Bonds shall not be a debt, liability or obligation of the Authority or of Okeecho-
bee County, Florida or of the State of Florida, or of any political subdivision there-
of, but shall be payable solely from payments derivedfrom the Company and Its
operation of the facilltes or the secure instruments for the Bonds.
Please take note that the Board of County Commissioners of Okeechobee County,
Florida (the "County") will hold a public hearing on this Project, Its nature and lo-
cation and associated Issues regarding the Bonds in the Commission Meeting
Room at the Okeechobee County Courthouse, 304 Northwest 2nd Street, Okee-
chobee, Florida, on Thursday, October 27, 2005, commencing at 9:00 a.m. or
shortly thereafter, at which time any person may be heard regarding the proposed
issuance of said Bonds and the Project.
90823 ON 10/12/05

Public Notices

Public Notice 5005
State Public -
Legal Notice 5500
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Notice is hereby given that the Glades
County Board of County Commission-
es will be accepting sealed bids from
qualified general contractors until 3:00
PM on October 31,2005 for the pro-
ect known as the American Legion
shelter Retrofit.
There will be a mandatory pre-bid confer-
ence atthe job site located at 600 Riv-
er Rd SW Moore Haven at 2:00 PRM.
on October 20,2005.
Bids are to be delivered by mail to Glades
County Emergency Management, Post
Office Box 68 Moore Haven, Florida
33471 or in person to 500 Avenue J,
Moore Haven 33471. Plans may be
obtained at the above address or at the
officeofH.L. Bennett, PE at241 Yeo-
mans Avenue, LaBelle, Florida 33935.
Glades County reserves the right to reject
any or all bids and to award contract
to the lowest or best Bidder, ,_,, ,
87636 CB,CGS, 10/6,13/2005
ON 9/29,30/2005 ,
10/ 1st thru 12t 2005

Find it faster. Sell it soon-
er in the classified

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT
The Workforce Development Board of the
Treasure Coast Region 20 and the
Treasure Coast Workforce Consortium
announces a public meeting of the
Performance & Evaluation Committee
to which all persons are invited:
Date&Time: Wednesday, October 19,
2005 8:30 a.m.
Place: Wookrce development Board
of the Treasure Coast
City Center
9350 S US Highway #1
Port St. Luce, Florida 34952
PURPOSE: To discuss matters concern-
ing the Workforce Investment Act,
Workforce Employment Opportunities,
the Welfare Transition Program, One-
Stop Career Centers and the Work-
force Development Board. A copy of
the agenda may be obtained by con-
tacting:
Wvro ceDevelpment Board
r e measure Coasl
City Center
9350 S US Highway #1
Port St. Lucie, Florida 34952
Should any person wish to appeal any
decision made by the Board with re-
spect to any matter considered at the
above referenced meeting, they will
need to ensure a verbatim recording of
the proceedings is made, which record
includes the testimony and evidence
upon which the appeal is based, in or-
der to provide a record for judicial re-
view.
89768 ON 10/12/05

The classified are the
most successful sales-
person in town.

Community Events

Cut-a-Thon aides breast cancer foundation
Stafford's Salon, 3268 U.S. 441 S. in the Winn-Dixie Plaza, will hold
a Cut for the Cure Cut-a-Thon on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. until 3
p.m. The event is being held to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation. Stafford's will donate 20 percent of the funds
raised on this day to the Komen foundation.. For information or to
make an appointment, call (863) 763-3933. While appointments are
recommended, they are not required.

Book group's schedule announced
.The Okeechobee County Library book discussion group will begin
meeting on Thursday, Oct. 27. The group's schedule is: Thursday, Oct.
27, "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi -- a memoir and literary
criticism by a former Iranian professor who secretly teaches western
literature in her living-room.; Thursday, Nov. 17,'"Kite Runner" by
Khaled Hosseini. This novel tells the story of Amir, the son of a wealthy
businessman and of his father's servant's son, Nassan. Amir grows up
in 1970s Afganistan, leaving during the war and returning there to live
as a man'.; Thursday, Dec. 15, "Nickels and Dimes" by Barbara Ehren-
'reich a journalist records how difficult it is to sustain oneself on min-
imum wage.; and, Thursday, Jan. 26, "Master Butcher's Singing Club"
by Louise Erdrich. This is a novel woven with intrigue, romance and
humor, .and is an emotionally complex tale of European immigrants
who have settled in the fictional town of Argus, N.D. All meetings
begin at 7 p.m. at the Okeechobee Library, 206 S.W 16th St. For infor-
mation, call Jan Fehrman at (863).357-9980.

Pet costume contest planned
Okeechobee Main Street is hosting a pet costume contest at the
Oct. 29 Fall Festival at the Okeechobee County Agri-Civic Center on S.R.
70 E. Dress your pet for Halloween and enter them into the contest. For
information, call Lydia Jean Williams at (863) 357-MAIN.

Church plans Oktoberfest celebration
Peace Lutheran Church, 750 N.W. 23rd Lane, will host their 15th
annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 29. Lunch will be served from 11
a.m. until 3 p.m. and will include bratwurst, sauerkraut, baked beans,
German potato salad, apple streusel and a beverage. Tickets are $5
each. There will also be a white elephant sale, cake walk, 50/50 draw-
irig, prize giveaways, kids games and a country store. For information,
call (863) 763-5042..

Vendors needed for benefit
The Joshua Matute Family Transportation Benefit needs vendors to
set up in the Okeechobee City Park on Oct. 29. Vendors needed
include arts and crafts, food, drink and entertainment. There will also
be a baking contest and prize giveaways. For information, contact Niki
Salmon at (561) 722-0401, or Hazel Wetherington at (863) 763-3617.

Bass club plans free fishing tourney
The Taylor Creek Bass Club will sponsor its 20th annual free Kids'
Day fishing Festival on Oct. 30 at the airboat ramp area of Okee-Tantie
Campground and Marina. The event will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
A Bassmaster Casting Kids competition will take place from 10 a.m.
until 1 p.m., followed by a live fishing competition from 1 until 4 p.m.
All children between the ages of 7 and14 are encouraged to compete
in the Bassmaster Casting Kids competition. Children between the
ages of 4 and 14 are invited to compete in the live fishing competition.
For information, contact Dave Stout at (863) 467-2255.

Church hosting concert
Rayz of the Son will be appearing at Living Word of Faith Church,
1902 S. Parrott Ave. on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. Mary Lanier will also
be performing. There is no charge for the concert. Everyone is invited.
For information, call the church at (863) 763-6869.

Benefit barbecue is planned
The Good Spirits Lounge, 245 U.S. 441 S.E., will host a barbecue on
Oct. 30 from 2 until 8 p.m. to benefit John and Connie Stanley, who
recently had their mobile home destroyed by fire. Pork, cole slaw,
potato salad, green beans and baked beans will. be served. The cost
will be $5 per plate. For information, contact the Good Spirits Lounge
at (863) 763-2734.

Swimming pool hours announced
The Okeechobee Sports Complex swimming pool hours of opera-
tion are: Aug. 8 Oct. 30, Tuesday through Friday from 4 until 7 p.m.,
Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from I until 5 p.m. The
pool is not open during school hours. For information, contact the
pool office at (863) 467-7667.

Alternative Halloween festival slated
The First Baptist Church and More-2-Life Ministries will host their
annual Fall Fest in Flagler Park #6 on Monday, Oct. 31, from 5:30 until
7:30 p.m. This year's Halloween alternative festival is open to all ages
and appropriate costumes. There will be games, food and candy pro-
vided. For information, call (863) 763-2171.

4-H and FFA Club enrollment under way
All youth planning to participate in the 2006 Okeechobee Youth
Livestock Show may enroll now but must be enrolled by Oct. 31, and
be in good club standings by attending monthly club meetings to be
eligible to participate in the livestock show.

Chamber hosting chicken dinner
The Okeechobee County Chamber of Commerce will host a barbe-
cue chicken dinner on Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. in Flagler Park
#2. A drive-up curbside area will be designated. The dinner will
include: barbecued chicken (white meat $6 and dark meat $5) with
baked beans, potato salad, roll and a cookie. Tickets are available at
the Chamber office; 55 S. Parrott Ave.; Rustic Ranch Furniture, 123
S.W Park St; or, from any Chamber board member. Orders can be
faxed to (863) 763-3531 and paid for when the meal is picked up. For
information, contact the Chamber office at (863) 763-6464.

Hammock State Park hosts festival
Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring will hold their 20th
Annual Civilian Conservation Corps Festival Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. until 4
p.m. There will be an antique car show, arts and craft vendors, live
.music, kids activities, tram ride, hayrides, CCC Alumni Reunion, a
cracker cowboy poet, pony rides, living history re-enactments and
more! Park admission is $4 per carload (up to eight people). Arts and
crafts vendors are needed. The participation fee is $10.70 for the entire
day. Contact Dorothy L. Harris at (863) 634-7695; or, by e-mail at
dorothy.l.harris@dep.state.fl.us for information or to request a vendor
packet. Interested food vendors should contact Nancy Davis of the
Hammock Inn directly at (863) 385-7025.

VFW Ladies group plan garage sale
The VFW Ladies Auxiliary is now accepting your donations for their
Nov. 4 and 5 garage sale to be held at the VFW Post #10539, located
3912 U.S. 441 S.E. There will be sausage, biscuits and gravy served for
breakfast at the sales, as well as Sloppy Joes for lunch at the Nov. 4
sale.

Girl Scouts to host Reunion Tea
The Okeechobee Girl Scouts Pegasus Service Unit is hosting a spe-
cial Adult Tea Party for current and former Girl Scouts and Girl Guides.
All adults who have been involved in Girl Scouting or Girl Guides over
the years and those who were Girl Scouts in their youth are invited.
The tea will be held Sunday, Nov. 6, from 2 until 4 p.m. at the Episcopal
Church of Our Savior, 200 N.W. Third St. The Scouts are also looking
for old uniforms and books for a display. For information, contact Lau-
rie Pharr at (863) 634-0465.

Habitat for Humanity needs volunteers.
Habitat for Humanity, an ecumenical housing ministry working in
partnership with the community and local families in need, is looking
for volunteers to help complete construction on their first house. Con-'
struction experience is appreciated but not required. Work days are
Saturday and Tuesdays from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Volunteers are also
needed to work on the following committees: public relations,
fundraising, legal advice, family support and volunteer coordination.
An experienced bookkeeper is also needed. Call (863) 357-1371 for
information.

Regions accepts Red Cross donations
All Regions banks can now accept donations to the American Red
Cross disaster relief efforts. Cash and checks will be accepted at any
Regions bank. Locally, Regions Bank is located at 305 E. N. Park St.
Checks must be written to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina
Disaster Relief Fund, and the customer will be given a Red Cross
receipt.

Benefits help available for vets
Veterans and their family members that have been displaced due to
Hurricane Katrina and have moved to the Okeechobee may contact
the County Veterans Service officer for benefits assistance at (863) 763-
8124. The County Veterans Service Office is located at 462 U.S. 98 N. in
the County Administration Annex. The office is open Monday-Thurs-
day, 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., and on Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

DAR opens essay contest
It is again time for the National Society Daughters of the American
Revolution to sponsor their annual American Essay Contest. The con-
test is open to public, private and parochial schools and those who are
home schooled and will start on the first day of school. The essays
have to be turned in by Dec. 1. This year's subject for grades five
through eight is "Benjamin Franklin- More than a Revolutionary". Jan.
17, 2006, marks the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth.
"The Santa Maria to the New World and the Apollo Mission to the
Moon: Christopher Columbus and the Astronauts" is the subject cho-
sen for grades nine through 12. American Essay Contest Certificates
and Excellence in History Medals will be presented to the contestants.
The winner from each school will receive a monetary award. For infor-
mation, call (863) 763-2492.

Humana Health Insurance

Company of Florida, Inc.

Public Notice

Effective January 1, 2006, Humana
Health Insurance Company of Florida,
Inc. will no longer offer coverage of
Medicare Advantage benefits to our
Medicare members in Indiana
River, Martin, Okeechobee and
St. Lucie, Florida. If you are a
current member, you. may remain
enrolled until December 31, 2005.

"We have closed enrollment
effective with this notice."

For additional information, we suggest
you call our Member Services
Department at 1-800-457-4708.
If you have a speech or hearing
impairment and use a TDD
device, call 1-800-833-3301. You
may call anytime between 8 a.m.
and 6 p.m., Monday through
Friday. For help and information
about Medicare, please call
the 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227).
Individuals that use a telephone device
for the hearing impaired can call
1-877-486-2048.

To save time and money by having the news-
paper delivered to your home. call Reader
Services at 1-877-353-2424 or email
readerserv ices @'new szap.com.
If you're already a subscriber and have 0i
questions or requests about \our home
delivery, call Reader Services at .
1-877-353-2424 or e-mail
readerservices@anewszap.com. V-5 '

F=I ILL S ;=L I "r'rM

> SAFE > ACCURATE > EASY-TO-USE

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even for individuals with tremor disorders or visual impairments.
DemiDoseTM can save you between 35% and 55% on the cost of
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The secret behind saving 35%
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"Flat-priced" means that all
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When you half-split those larger
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We are pledged to operate our newspaper as a public trust.
Fairness is extremely important to us.

We admit our errors promptly and we don't "bury" the correc-
tions. (If error appears on the front page, that's where we print
the correction.)

Sometimes people don't like what has been written about them.
In those cases, we offer a "right to reply" and allow them to tell
their own side of the story.

How are we doing?

Let us know by mailing feedback@newszap.com or call your
editor.

Okeechobee News

661 v
$41A,95

2

18 The Okeechobee News, Wednesday, October 12,2005

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returns, close-outs & overstock. We check i
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is returned because it is the wrong size or
color. Hardly any are damaged. We bring
out new finds every week but since they 2 E
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can't advertise them... So come in often .- --s .
& FIND YOUR TREASURE!